Lao president pledges further technology cooperation with China

Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and president of Laos, said Laos will continue to advance China-Laos cooperation in the technology field on Wednesday in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.

Thongloun arrived in Hangzhou on Tuesday for a five-day state visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

Zhejiang was chosen as the first stop of the Lao president's trip for its reputation as a high-tech and innovation hub and for having achieved high-quality growth across multiple sectors.

Upon arrival, Thongloun visited several local technology companies, where he explored advanced artificial intelligence-powered robotic systems designed for industrial, commercial and challenging environments.

In an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG), Thongloun hailed China's progress in modern technology, AI and digital economy, pledging to strengthen cooperation with China in the technology field.

"I asked staff of the technology companies I visited many questions, and they provided a great deal of information that helped us better understand the development of modern technology in China. It's clear that China regards modern technology, artificial intelligence and digital economy as key areas of national development. This offers valuable experience for Laos. We will continue to advance cooperation between our two countries in the field of technology," said Thongloun.

The president also expressed hope that new technology cooperation initiatives will be launched in Laos.

"I believe our cooperation in these areas in the future is very promising. In the next few days, I will raise this matter with President Xi Jinping. I will also put forward more detailed proposals on cooperation between our two governments in the development of new technologies, so that these initiatives can take root in Laos," said Thongloun.

Lao president pledges further technology cooperation with China

The World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Friday that global goods trade remained resilient in the first half of 2026 despite headwinds from the ongoing Middle East conflict, partly thanks to rising artificial intelligence (AI)-related demand.

The WTO's latest Goods Trade Barometer, a composite leading indicator for global merchandise trade, stood at 101.7, down slightly from 102.3 in January. This suggests a possible slowdown in global merchandise trade, the WTO said.

Barometer values above 100 indicate above-trend trade volumes, while values below 100 suggest that goods trade has either fallen below trend or is likely to decline in the near future.

The surge in demand for electronic components related to AI investment may have partly offset the negative impact of the Middle East conflict, the report said.

Of all the component indices of the barometer, the electronic components index stood at 105.5, which has "risen firmly above trend," while the other indices were near their common baseline value of 100, according to the report.

The highly predictive export orders index stayed slightly above the baseline at 100.5.

In its most recent Global Trade Outlook and Statistics Report released in March, the WTO projected that merchandise trade would grow by 1.9 percent in 2026 under a baseline scenario, a significant slowdown from 2025.

The organization noted that if energy prices continue to rise, global goods trade growth could fall by 0.5 percentage points to 1.4 percent, while sustained AI investment could add 0.5 percentage points to the growth rate.

Global goods trade remains resilient despite Middle East conflict: WTO